Car Wreck

As the owner of nine franchised dealerships, Mark Ragsdale has sold vehicles to thousands of customers. In Car Wreck, he shares personal knowledge of the business schemes that continue to rear-end, run over, and crush your wallet. He calls out the shysters of finance, politics, and greed, who have wrecked the industry and abused your tax dollars. And he divulges secrets automotive professionals don’t want you to know—all in a humorous and personalized tone.

Car Wreck explains how you can avoid being trapped by depreciation and long-term finance commitments. It teaches you how to discern advertising hooks, decipher finance contracts, translate car salesman-speak, and much more. Consider it your secret decoder ring to fully understanding a very complex, secretive, and predatory industry.

If you want to know what really goes on behind the guarded walls of today’s automobile business, and transform yourself into the auto industry expert among your friends — Car Wreck is a must-read!

After earning a journalism degree from the University of Massachusetts in 1988, Mark Ragsdale graduated from both industry and manufacturer-sponsored car dealer schools. In 1989, he rejoined his father's Chevrolet dealership, where he had dedicated his Saturdays and summers from the age of seven. By age 24, he ran a Pontiac-Cadillac dealership on behalf of his father and a partner. By 30, he purchased the majority share of the store. Over the next twelve years, he proceeded to purchase or construct five additional franchised automobile dealerships and three motorcycle stores. He has represented Chevrolet, Pontiac, Cadillac, Kia, Honda, Excelsior-Henderson, and Indian Motorcycle.

His experience in the automotive industry is broad. He has served on the Kia National Dealer Advisory Council, as chairman of a National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) 20-Group, as director of the Massachusetts State Automobile Dealers Association, and as president and/or director for several different dealer marketing associations.

In 2008, Ragsdale sold his dealerships. He now writes and consults with car dealers, policy makers, and other industry professionals. He resides in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, with his beautiful wife, Lauri, and their two children, Wyatt and Isabella.